Robitussin DM (Get it)
Has been recommended for your dog. (Printable version)
There’s good news, by the way. Robitussin DM is available in a pill form. When you’re dosing that, there are two parts: Guaifenesin and dextromethorphan. You dose based on the Guaifenesin. So the dose for Guaifenesin in dogs is 3-5mg per kg up to every 4 hours. (wow!)
If you have a tablet that’s 100mg Guaifenesin, you leave the Dextromethorphan out of the equation and just calculate the guaifenesin.
So if you have a 14 pound dog, that’s 6.6 kilograms. So the dose could be as low as 19mg up to 35mg.
Guaifenesin is VERY safe for dogs. So you could either dose 1/3rd tablet to hit the 33mg dose. Or, just use a half tablet to give 50mg and don’t worry about it. There are practically no cardiac effects.
This advice is definitely not for all coughing dogs. Heck, it’s probably not even appropriate for the majority of coughing dogs. This (guaifenesin) is a poor choice for dogs with congestive heart failure. It’s a poor choice as monotherapy for respiratory infections. It’s a poor choice as monotherapy for pulmonary allergies without also addressing the inflammatory component of said allergies.
This has worked well for “real” kennel cough, and (surprisingly) for pulmonary hypertension and ‘hyperinflation’ in very old dogs where “nothing else worked”. I have only a vague idea why and how that works. No matter, as long as it does.
The dose is 2cc per 20 pounds every 8 to 12 hours IF NEEDED (don’t give it if the dog doesn’t even need it)
You’ll see:
- Less coughing
- Less gacking
- Easier breathing.
It is CRITICAL that you do not ACCIDENTALLY buy
- Off-brand
- Something OTHER than the “DM” formula
- Anything with phenylephrine or phenylpropanolamine
Here’s the “finesse” of dosing, and the reason for this ‘article’
Dosing Robitussin DM For Dogs
Start with 1cc per ten pounds. You’ll need a dosing syringe from the office or Amazon.
If you “don’t see anything” (No effect of sedation OR control of cough / gack) then increase dose to 2cc per ten pounds.
A 10 pound dog starts out at 1cc every 8 to 12 hours “as needed” for cough / gack.
If you “don’t see anything” (good or bad) after a dose or three, double up to 2cc every 8 hours as needed. As the dog’s overall weight is higher and higher, the amount you give scrolls up a little bit, not even in a linear fashion, see chart.
